[OSList] 20,000 OS meetings in Africa??

[Tricia Chirumbole]

Hi David,

Thanks so much for emerging and sharing! I was very intrigued and excited
to read about your model and your experiences.

I tried for three years to start up a social enterprise in Africa, and
while we helped a few isolated people, it mostly failed. Not all due to the
model of western intervention I don't believe, but in part. My main focus
was on organizing local business intermediaries and business owners and
connecting them both with the diaspora population and other social
investors. However, I definitely felt, heard, and recognized deficiencies
related both in part to the fact that I was an outsider and the fact that
there was such a legacy of overbearing foreign interests, including aid,
private sector, and NGO types and the resulting mix of dependency and
resistance to outside influence and leadership....not very well stated and
not comprehensive, but those are my first blush thoughts about it.

Anyhow, I write as I would love to see if there is any way I can help out
your efforts, even in a small way. My first thought is that I have a friend
in Ghana, a local, who has been working for the past two years to start
programs that help widows and orphans. I have helped him with some small
fundraising projects, but I feel like an approach like this could have a
much bigger and more self-sustaining impact.

He himself does not have any money, but he has the will to make a positive
difference in his community and has shown the ability to rally others to
his cause, other locals. He was interested in your organization upon first
review.

I don't know if it would be a fit, but I would love to explore the
possibilities. Thanks!
On Tue, Mar 5, 2013 at 12:39 PM, David Glenwinkel <david at villagecare.com>wrote:

> Hello Celia****
>
> David Glenwinkel here, I am the guy in the shadows that Harrison
> mentioned. I have been monitoring OS list emails for a few weeks to get a
> feel for the forum. I contacted Harrison a few weeks ago to ask permission
> to use some of his writing. I was introduced to Open Space by a friend in
> California in 2005, read a little about it on the Web, and took my very
> reluctant friend to Africa to help me with a pilot project I called Village
> Care. From that time to my contact with Harrison I had no idea a forum
> existed, had not read any of the books, and frankly developed the program
> on dumb luck and my naturally contrarian view. I started OS with one
> village in Kenya, near lake Victoria up in Kisi. I went to Africa in 2002
> at age 48 to climb mount Kilimanjaro, I had no intention of helping anyone.
> I became very irritated at what I saw and my willful aspect kicked in, I
> had some background as I grew up on a farm and have a degree in
> International Agriculture, and trained peace corps volunteers in my college
> days. I ended up as a business consultant and expert in international
> taxation, a longish story. After the climb of Kili and five weeks wandering
> around villages in 2002 I returned to the US to reorganize my business,
> then returned to Africa for four months showing up unescorted and
> unannounced in Villages in Western Kenya. Over the next four years I tried
> dozens and dozens of projects, and stayed a total of about two years
> accumulated time in villages just observing and getting to know people,
> mainly in Kenya and Tanzania, but I did manage to trek my way through the
> great lakes region and down to Capetown. I failed at every attempt to make
> effective change of any kind during that entire period, literally
> exhausting my resources. In 2005 I met with a group of widows in Kisi,
> about a hundred of them. Folks I had come to know well over the years, as
> it is a community I often retreat to. That was our first Open Space
> meeting, which lasted three days. I formed Village Care (
> www.villagecare.com) as an official 501 C at the end of 2005. Today we
> have over a thousand member villages in 11 countries, 5 in East Africa and
> 6 in West Africa. We have well over 100,000 African volunteers working with
> no stipends or allowances. Our mission is to equip leaders (OS
> Facilitators) to mobilize their communities to improve the wellbeing of
> their orphans and widows with no outside donations. We have impacted about
> 150,000 orphans who are now cared for within those communities to a UN
> standard without donors. We have two effective programs, one our main
> program, is called OPOS, Outcomes, Practices and Open Space. It is a three
> day OS around a framework of principles that I believe are universal. Our
> second program is called OFB, Outcomes for Business. Underlying the written
> program is a set of principles that are fundamental to true empowerment. I
> have been reading through Harrison’s  work the past few weeks, and gleaning
> new insights. Since we at VCI work only with the poor, and largely in areas
> that are not Donor Infected, I think we have a pretty easy audience in many
> ways. I know this is getting boring by now, so I will wrap it up. I am the
> one who claims to have caused more than 20,000 OS events in Africa. Taking
> my daily walk this week, I was thinking about the truth of that statement,
> I am sensitive to accuracy, (our key programs all start with the word
> Outcomes). All of our outcomes are measureable. I believe 20,000 is likely
> a very low number, so I am satisfied with the claim. ****
>
> ** **
>
> To your points below, I was “schooled” in Kenya in exactly those same
> excuses. Ultimately rejected them all, with great resistance from everyone,
> including my own leaders, and I rejected a lot of other myths as well. We
> started with some basic assumptions:****
>
> **1.       **Members of the local community are best at creating their
> own solutions. Only Africans can solve the problems of Africa. ****
>
> **2.       **Only Africans can lead in solving African Problems****
>
> **3.       **The local communities already have all the resources they
> need to get started. ****
>
> **4.       **Any outside infusion of capital, ideas, commodities, of any
> kind, will destroy the heart of local empowerment. To that end we do not
> allow westerners to facilitate OS or any other programs when in country. I
> removed myself as a facilitator about three years ago.  ****
>
> **5.       **The community must start and fundamentally succeed using
> only the resources they have on hand. ****
>
> **6.       **Only the poor can solve the problems of the poor. ****
>
> ** **
>
> Needless to say these are very contrary positions, and very controversial.
> We have not enjoyed any partnering relationships! I am not saying capital
> infusions are not necessary, I am saying that such infusions reflect 60
> years of failure in Africa because the seeds of empowerment were sterilized
> by colonialism. Those seeds must be re nurtured and allowed to take root at
> a fundamental level, re awakening what is in our human DNA, so the heart is
> changed and transformation can occur. My observation is that is about a two
> to three year process. ****
>
> ** **
>
> We do not provide allowances, food, travel, or any incentives for
> participants. Each country has an independent NGO Village Care Initiatives,
> the board is entirely indigenous, and they run their own program. We fund
> only one leader in each country. We are not political in nature, but we
> consider ourselves to be a path to peace. Our largest works are in Muslim
> led communities, some radicalized, and in those communities Christians,
> Traditionalists, and Muslims commonly co lead and participate in thousands
> of projects. We are not on the radar, suck at fundraising, yet we are
> thinking the program scope will double this year. At that point I hope to
> go more public and seek more global awareness. I want the proof in the
> pudding to be irrefutable, and as we grow I am seeing some drift in
> leadership (Moving off of OS a bit) that puts us at a critical point of
> challenge right now in my thinking. ****
>
> ** **
>
> I am a volunteer, VCI has no paid US Staff and all of us from this side of
> the pond travel and work with VCI on our own dime. I do have some materials
> that should be ready to within the next few months. I have written a book
> called the Insanity of Africa, which defines the root problems that keeps
> the poverty industry lucrative and perpetual. I think you might find it
> informative. ****
>
> ** **
>
> Reading your points, really struck a note with me, and you are in my
> thoughts and prayers. I have simply never had a bad OS experience. I have
> had many bad experiences, and a ton of failure in my life, but OS resonated
> with my DNA in some odd way. I have worked some very tough groups! I would
> say that there is a dance, or rhythm in good facilitation. Being a catalyst
> is a much harder job than being a teacher. My best tool by the way is
> “sticky wall” an awesome way to let ideas move and flow. I would tend to
> use the word “organic” which implies a very complex form of organizing that
> is elegantly simple in form, rather than the term self-organizing. That is
> a nuance to me, but has significant implications.  ****
>
> ** **
>
> David Glenwinkel****
>
> ** **
>
> *From:* oslist-bounces at lists.openspacetech.org [mailto:
> oslist-bounces at lists.openspacetech.org] *On Behalf Of *Celia Bray CEO
> Omni One
> *Sent:* Monday, March 04, 2013 12:39 PM
> *To:* 'World wide Open Space Technology email list'
> *Subject:* Re: [OSList] inquiry OS****
>
> ** **
>
> Thanks so much for your feedback. To answer your questions so far. ****
>
> ** **
>
> **1)      **Participation was voluntary, although the culture in Kenya is
> that people expect to get a payment to attend forums, so some of them were
> misinformed and may have come for the expected money. This is a culture
> started by foreign aid and is now endemic. The first thing people ask if
> there is a forum is ‘how much money will I get’ to attend. While the money
> thing makes true motivation for attending cloudy, there were some that did
> know there was no financial gain for attending. ****
>
> **2)      **The theme was peace in the community and it was 2 days before
> the elections in Kenya. The theme was relevant and something that a lot of
> people were directly effected by from the post election violence in the
> 2007 elections. So relevance was there but that does not mean it is
> something that people are passionate about. ****
>
> **3)      **It was an open community forum, not within an intact system.**
> **
>
> **4)      **I noticed also that people stayed in their small clusters of
> people they knew. They did not mix or move around to work with other
> people. Not sure what that was about or how normal that is. ****
>
> **5)      **Kenya has an education system where children are told what to
> think and what to do. It is not a culture that naturally lends itself to
> people making their own decisions and breaking out of the usual tribe. ***
> *
>
> **6)      **Another observation is that people seem to finish their
> discussions very quickly and merge sessions so that they cover all the
> topics in one or 2 sessions, leaving the later sessions as a blank space
> where there is nothing to discuss. It feels like there is a very
> superficial discussion of topics rather then getting into the heart of it.
> In a forum of 100 people, to cover all the topics in a couple of sessions
> is a surprise to me. ****
>
> ** **
>
> Any further ideas would be much appreciated. I am a westerner working in
> Kenya, so culturally I am still learning a lot. I know I am missing
> something important. I think it is helpful to draw my attention to the
> question of passion. It does feel like passion is missing, and also the
> hunger to get to the bottom of things is missing. ****
>
> ** **
>
> Peace****
>
> ** **
>
> *Celia Bray*
>
> *CEO*
>
> *Omni One Ltd*
>
> *Peace, Enterprise and Community Development*
>
> P  +254 735 191 344****
>
> E  celia.bray at omni-one-consulting.com****
>
> W www.omni-one-consulting.com****
>
> [image: OmniC84a-A08aT06a-Z]****
>
> 'The best way to predict the future is to create it' Peter Druker****
>
> ** **
>
> *From:* oslist-bounces at lists.openspacetech.org [
> mailto:oslist-bounces at lists.openspacetech.org<oslist-bounces at lists.openspacetech.org>]
> *On Behalf Of *Christine Whitney Sanchez
> *Sent:* Monday, 4 March 2013 7:08 PM
> *To:* World wide Open Space Technology email list
> *Subject:* Re: [OSList] inquiry OS****
>
> ** **
>
> Celia,****
>
> ** **
>
> Adding to Harrison's and Chris's questions about invitation and voluntary
> participation, I wonder whether the participants are working together on
> something and truly understand the process and benefits of
> cross-pollination?   Are you working with public forums or within an intact
> system?  ****
>
> ** **
>
> And I wonder if it might be counter cultural (within the system or in the
> larger culture) in some way?  ****
>
> ** **
>
> Thanks for bringing the discussion to the list.  I love a good mystery!***
> *
>
> ** **
>
> Warm wishes from the air from Phoenix to DC,****
>
> ** **
>
> Christine****
>
> ** **
>
> On Mar 4, 2013, at 10:35 AM, Chris Corrigan <chris.corrigan at gmail.com>
> wrote:****
>
> ** **
>
> Agreed…sounds like a passion deficit.  In my experience, when people are
> gathered to discuss an issue that just burns within them, OST meetings fly.
>  We are never bored by immediate need!****
>
> ** **
>
> My advice in the pre-meetings with your sponsor is to ask - "Why do we
> need to hold this meeting?  What is happening that makes this meeting
> important for everyone who will attend?"  From there, your invitation
> process should be to reach all of those for whom this issue matters
> greatly.  The key is not in doing Open Space, it is in invitation.  If the
> structure of Open Space is a fireplace, invitation is the wood and passion
> is what lights it.  If one of the three is missing, your OST will fizzle
> (or work anyway, but with low energy, if you want to put it that way).****
>
> ** **
>
> Chris****
>
> ** **
>
> ** **
>
> On 2013-03-04, at 9:21 AM, Harrison Owen wrote:****
>
> ** **
>
> Celia – Odd indeed! My first thought is two questions: A) Is participation
> totally voluntary, or have the people, in some way or another, been “told”
> to come? B) Is the subject (Theme) of the OS something that the people
> truly care about? If the answers are No, No – then I am not very surprised
> with the results. On the other hand, if the answers are Yes, Yes – this is
> definitely weird and worthy of study.****
>
>  ****
>
> ho****
>
>  ****
>
> Harrison Owen****
>
> 7808 River Falls Dr.****
>
> Potomac, MD 20854****
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>
>  ****
>
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>
> Camden, Maine 04843****
>
>  ****
>
> Phone 301-365-2093****
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>  ****
>
> www.openspaceworld.com****
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>  ****
>
> *From:* oslist-bounces at lists.openspacetech.org [mailto:oslist-
> bounces at lists.openspacetech.org]*On Behalf Of *Celia Bray CEO Omni One
> *Sent:* Monday, March 04, 2013 2:05 PM
> *To:* oslist at lists.openspacetech.org
> *Subject:* [OSList] inquiry OS****
>
>  ****
>
> Dear OS community****
>
>  ****
>
> HELP NEEDED.****
>
>  ****
>
> I have been working in Kenya for the last 8 months and facilitated a few
> open space forums. I have noticed a pattern developing in my OS forums that
> is not great. I am not sure if i am doing something wrong when opening the
> space. It seems that when it is time to start session 1, if people don't
> have their own topic in session 1 they just sit there. People only really
> engage in the topic they put up themselves and sit around being butterflies
> for the rest of the forum, complaining they are bored and waiting for their
> session. Also, when they have finished their discussions they don't join
> other people's group to contribute.****
>
>  ****
>
> It has happened a few times. I wonder if it is normal or if I am missing
> something. I do explain that if they are not discussing their topic they
> can look at other people's topics and go to other groups, but it seems to
> not be heard. It is not just a few, it is many people, sometimes half or
> more of the forum are sitting waiting for their topic.****
>
>  ****
>
> Please help me to understand what might be going on or what I might be
> doing wrong.****
>
>  ****
>
> Thank you****
>
>  ****
>
> *Celia Bray*****
>
> *CEO*****
>
> *Omni One Ltd*****
>
> *Peace, Enterprise and Community Development*****
>
> P  +254 735 191 344****
>
> E  celia.bray at omni-one-consulting.com****
>
> W www.omni-one-consulting.com****
>
> <image001.jpg>****
>
> 'The best way to predict the future is to create it' Peter Druker****
>
>  ****
>
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-- 
Tricia Chirumbole
US: +1-571-232-0942
Skype: tricia.chirumbole
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